DATE=3/16/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-246677
TITLE=CHINA / HUMAN RIGHTS (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A DELEGATION FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION IS IN BEIJING TO
DISCUSS THE THORNY ISSUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS.
VOA'S STEPHANIE HO REPORTS CHINA IS SCRAMBLING TO AVOID CENSURE
AT A UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION SESSION THAT BEGINS
IN GENEVA NEXT WEEK.
TEXT: THE EUROPEAN TEAM, MADE UP OF DIPLOMATS FROM AUSTRIA,
GERMANY AND FINLAND, BEGAN MEETING WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS
TUESDAY.
ONE PURPOSE OF THIS WEEK'S TALKS IS TO HELP THE EUROPEAN UNION
DECIDE WHETHER TO SPONSOR A RESOLUTION CRITICAL OF CHINA'S HUMAN
RIGHTS RECORD.
CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN SUN YUXI, SPEAKING THROUGH AN
INTERPRETER, SAID BEIJING HOPES THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL TAKE THE
OVERALL RELATIONSHIP INTO CONSIDERATION.
// SUN INTERPRETER ACT //
WITH REGARD TO THE ANTI-CHINA DRAFT RESOLUTION YOU MENTIONED,
I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THIS ISSUE USED TO BE A SERIOUS
OBSTACLE DISRUPTING THE BILATERAL RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND THE
E-U.
// END ACT //
THE CHINESE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT HE HOPES EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WILL
MAINTAIN WHAT HE CALLED AN INDEPENDENT POLICY AND NOT REVERT TO
THE OLD ROLE OF CONFRONTATION.
CHINA'S AGREEMENT TO HOLD A DIALOGUE ON HUMAN RIGHTS WITH WESTERN
GOVERNMENTS WAS A KEY FACTOR IN THEIR DECISION NOT TO SEEK A
CENSURE AT THE U-N HUMAN RIGHTS MEETING IN GENEVA LAST YEAR.
ON MONDAY, CHINESE PREMIER ZHU RONGJI TOOK A SWIPE AT U-S
SECRETARY OF STATE MADELINE ALBRIGHT -- WHO STRONGLY CRITICIZED
CHINA'S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD DURING A VISIT TO BEIJING EARLIER
THIS MONTH.
THE 70-YEAR-OLD MR. ZHU POINTED OUT THAT HE IS TEN YEARS OLDER
THAN MS. ALBRIGHT. HE ASSERTED THAT AS A YOUNG MAN, HE WAS
ALREADY FIGHTING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DURING THE CHINESE CIVIL WAR
THAT THE COMMUNISTS WON 50 YEARS AGO.
// ZHU AND INTERPRETER ACT // (CHINESE)
WHEN I TOOK PART IN THE MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRACY, FREEDOM AND
HUMAN RIGHTS AGAINST THE K-M-T, THE GUOMINDANG GOVERNMENT, AT THE
COST OF MY LIFE, YOU WERE STILL IN YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOL.
// END ACT //
THE CHINESE PREMIER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT CHINA'S CURRENT HUMAN
RIGHTS RECORD IS NOT PERFECT, BUT SAID THE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT
HAS NOT HAD ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE SUBSTANTIVE IMPROVEMENTS.
// ZHU AND INTERPRETER ACT // (CHINESE)
IT'S ONLY 50 YEARS SINCE THE FOUNDING OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC
OF CHINA. AND TO COMPARE THE SHORT PERIOD OF 50 YEARS AFTER THE
FOUNDING OF THE P-R-C TO THE SEVERAL THOUSAND YEARS OF FEUDAL
SOCIETY IN CHINA'S HISTORY, SO HOW COULD WE POSSIBLY RESOLVE ALL
THESE PROBLEMS WITHIN THESE 50 YEARS?
// END ACT //
HE SAID THE COUNTRY'S LEGAL SYSTEM IS SLOWLY IMPROVING, AND THAT
THE JUST-CONCLUDED SESSION OF CHINA'S LEGISLATURE PASSED A
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON -- AS HE DESCRIBED IT -- RULING THE
COUNTRY BY LAW. (SIGNED)
NEB/HO/FC
16-Mar-99 5:07 AM EST (1007 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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